Official EMS Cuban stock
Good cigars, kept properly,
Good cigars, kept properly,
sent out the same day
We are an independent British tobacconist. Cuban cigars with the green EMS stamp, New World blends from across the Americas, and the cutters and lighters that go with them. Everything sits in Spanish cedar at 68% humidity until the moment we pack it.
- Genuine EMS stamps
- Kept at 68% humidity
- Free tracked delivery on every order
EMS stock
Montecristo · Havana
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Montecristo No. 4
Sells the most
What people keep buying
Well known sizes at sensible money. If you are not sure what to try, one of these is rarely a mistake.
Not sure what to buy?
Tell us what you like
Four quick questions and we will point you at three cigars from stock that fit. There is no wrong answer here.
- 1 Experience
- 2 Occasion
- 3 Taste
- 4 Budget
How much have you smoked before?
How long have you got?
What sort of taste do you enjoy?
Roughly what would you spend per cigar?
Here is what we would pick
What to drink with it
Cigars and drinks that go together
The rule is simple. Match strength with strength, or you will only taste one of them. Pick a drink and we will suggest three cigars that hold their own.
Where our Cubans come from
What the green EMS stamp actually means
English Market Selection is the grade of Cuban cigar set aside for Britain. It has been going for well over a century.
Since 1993 the green stamp on the box has been issued by Hunters and Frankau, the only company allowed to import Habanos into the UK. If a Cuban cigar is sold here without it, either it did not come through the proper channel or the duty was never paid. Every Cuban box we sell has the stamp on it.
It is not a marketing badge. It tells you where the cigar came from and that somebody checked it on the way.
More about how we workIf it carries the stamp
Hunters and Frankau, official UK importer- They are genuine Habanos S.A. cigars, rolled in a Cuban state factory.
- They were checked here in the UK for wrapper condition, colour match and draw.
- They have been kept in Spanish cedar at 68% humidity since they arrived.
- UK duty and VAT are already paid, so nothing turns up later.
Not ready for a whole box
See samplers
Threes, fives and tins
A sensible way to try something before you commit to twenty five of them.
If you are new to this
How to smoke a cigar
Three things to get right. None of them are difficult, and getting them wrong is the usual reason a good cigar tastes bad.
- 01
Cut it
Take off just the cap.
You will see a line near the head where the wrapper is closed off. Cut above it, not through it, or the whole thing unravels. A double bladed cutter or a 9mm punch does the job in one go.
- 02
Light it
Toast the foot, do not blast it.
Hold the foot an inch or two above the flame at an angle and turn it slowly until the edge glows all the way round. Then draw. If you cook it with the torch held right against it, the wrapper burns and it tastes of nothing but smoke.
- 03
Smoke it slowly
A puff a minute is about right.
Do not inhale. Hold the smoke in your mouth for a couple of seconds, let it go, then push a little out through your nose. That last part is called a retrohale and it is where most of the flavour actually shows up. Rush it and the cigar gets hot and bitter.
Before you order
Questions we get asked
Provenance, packing, delivery and storage.
How do I know a Cuban cigar is the real thing?
Look for the green English Market Selection stamp on the box. Ours all come through Hunters and Frankau, the official UK importer for Habanos S.A., so the stamp is there and the duty is paid. If you ever want to check a specific box, send us the code and we will look it up.
Will they dry out on the way to me?
No. Everything goes out in a sealed pouch with a free Boveda 69% humidity pack, which holds them steady at roughly 65 to 70% while they travel. They leave our humidor and arrive in the same condition.
When will my order arrive?
Order before 2pm Monday to Friday and it goes out the same day on Royal Mail Tracked 24. Delivery is free on every order, above our £230 minimum, and you can pay for Special Delivery if you need it guaranteed.
Do I need a humidor?
For a few cigars over a week or two, an airtight box with a Boveda pack will do fine. If you are keeping a box for months, get a proper Spanish cedar humidor. British houses drop to about 25% humidity once the heating is on, which will dry cigars out in a few days if they are left in the open.